Perforated record card



Sept. 26, 1933, w, s 1,928,209

PERFORATED RECORD CARD Filed Feb. 711930 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIIGJ;

111111111111111111111111111HIHIII NHHHHHHH111111111111111111111111111111 222222ZHZZ2221222222222Z22222269922222222222222222222222?Z ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ 333333fl3335333aa5333s3a333in" 33313553333333333:33333333333353333353335333333533 4444411444444444444444444nu 44444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444 55511555555555555555 0 .155555555555555555555555655555555555555555555555555555555 665116666566666666fifi0266666666666666666686666666GGGGGGGGGGQSGCGGBBCGSGGCGBGGGG 7]]7777777/ I Ian I I7 III 11/777! 11/ Ill )l/77777777777777777777777777777777 Immune A959 99 95 999999999999999999593959599999993399959999959999339999 S9999939 I19 5 6 1 99 mm Kn mm. m! mu rnmunmnv obdooobooflo00000000000oooooooooooooofluooooooooooooooooooo0000000000000oooooooooo 0000000006000000000000000000OOOOOOOQOOOOOOO 11111111011111111111111111111111bb p 111111111 Z2222220222222221222222222222 QZZZZZZZZZZZZZ 33333303333333333333333333 6Q333333353333333 4-4L44-o4441 444414-44-44444oQ44-4444444444-44-44444 555505555555555555555695555555555555555555555 $69C666666666G66666Q 6666666G666666666 6666666 ovnnr7nn1o 711777777777771777777777777 BB BBBOCIBBiQ 585858598868898885888885685888 avwentoz ALBERT W Mm $51, 1 wow, I

Sept. 26, 1933. A. w. MILLS 1,928,209

PERFORATED RECORD CARD Filed Feb. 7, 1950 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIGA:

1 I 2 212125 252521 zsao an: 5991 IO n 9 o o 0 500 0910 o 0 0o 0 0 0'0 0 o o o o o 00 090 o o o oo o o o 000 o o 11 1 1 1 1 1 1 11 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 011 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 222 20 222 22222222 22 2 22222022 22222 22 22 22 2 22222 50333333333333333333330533333333333333333333 5255.42 4 5 1 1. 414 5 LHLQ JAJA 22 2 5 A L 3 3245 5. 21 L451 555555 5 055555 55 5 555 55555555 0555555 5555 5 5555 6666660 6 e as as 66 a 566 66666660 sss-cses see a as c as 7 7 7 O7 7 7 7 7 77 7 7 77 7 7 7 77 7 7 7 O 7 7 7 77 7 77 7 7 7 7 77 77 7 77 I 8 05599 88 a 5a 59 99a 59 a0 a 095 555598 8 8 Be 8 98 88 8 8 8 O 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 s 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 s 9 9999 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 '5 9 9'9 9 9 99 9 9 s 9 a9 giwumtoz A ERT W. MILLS Sept. 26, 1933.

Ill/III I II/III/IIIII I I/ A. W. MILLS PERFORATED RECORD CARD Filed Feb 7,, 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR- I BY 4246.210. M

" ATTOR$Y- Patented Sept. 26, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE mesne assignments, to International Business Machines Corporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application February 7, 1930. Serial No. 426,581

3 Claims.

This invention relates to record cards adapted for use in connection with perforated card controlled accounting machines such as the well known Hollerith tabulating machines. In such 5 machines a record card is provided with a plurality of vertical rows of index point positions.

A common form of card includes 45 such vertical rows with ten positions in each column for representing the numerals from zero to nine. Additional positions above the zero position may be employed to indicate additional data, such as 11 and 12, where it is desirable to record all of the months in a single column. In the usual system a single perforation is made in a vertical column. This perforation is made at a particular point to represent a particular numeral. For instance, if it is desired to record the numeral 9 in a particular column, a perforation will be made in the 9 position in that column, and so on. These cards are fed through tabulating machines and are sensed by electric current brushes under which the cards are fed. The positions on the card feed successively past the brushes and if a perforation appears in the 9 position of any column, the brush will reach through the perforation and make contact with an electric conductor on the other side of the card. It will close a circuit through electromagnets to cause the machine to effect accumulating operations to accumulate the 9 and also when desired to cause the machine to print the 9 on a record strip carried in the machine.

The card may also be analyzed by sensing pins in which case the card is stopped at a sensing position and the pins projected against the card. The pin detecting a perforation will pass through the card and control the accumulating and printing operations of the machine. Heretofore the number of characters entered in a single column 40 on a card has been limited. It has been customary to effect punching in the columnsat a very limited number of positions. In some instances in order to increase the capacity of a single column in order that alphabetical char acters may be represented, two or more perforations were made in the column, the combination of perforations being used to control the operation of the machine.

The object of the present invention is to devise a system of perforating whereby a large number of characters may be represented by the punching of a single hole in a column on the card.

Referring to the drawings wherein I have shown what I now consider to be the preferred form of my invention:

Fig. 1 shows a card having 80 vertical-columns, each column having ten numbered index point positions bearing the characters 0 to 9.

Fig. 2 shows a card of the same size having 45 columns of index point positions.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged section of the card shown in Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail section of the card shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 shows a card similar to that of Fig. 2 in which the card may be divided across the middle and separate sets of data entered in the upper half and in the lower half.

Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic view showing the manner in which the card may be used to control the setting of type carriers to cause printing of values or characters represented by the perforations in the card.

In Fig. 1 the card 1 shows ten index point positions in each vertical column. Each of these positions represents one of the numerals from 0 to 9. A perforation in any one of these positions may represent the character printed in the position. Thus in the first column a perforation 2 is shown in the 9 position representing the value 9. In the second column a perforation 3 represents the value 8. In the remaining and succeeding columns, perforations represent the values 7 and so on down to zero. In the eleventh column a perforation 4 is shown slightly above the position of the perforation 2 of the first column. In the thirteenth column a perforation 5 is shown slightly below the position of the perforatipn 3 of the second column and in the twelfth column a perforation 6 is shown in a position midway between the positions of the perforations 4 and 5. Thus between each horizontal row of numerals additional perforation positions are employed. In Fig. 4 the perforation 2 is shown in the first column, the perforation 4 is in the second column, the perforation 6 is in the third column, the perforation 5 is in the fourth column, and the perforation 3 is in the fifth column. This system is continued on up to the upper end of the columns so that instead of having only ten index point positions in each column, thirty-seven or more such positions may be used. Any one of these perforations may be made in the 105 single column. If all of the perforations were made in a single column there would, of course, be a continuous slot from near the upper edge of the card, all the way to near the lower edge thereof, but it is to be understood that only one per- 110 foration will be made in a single column and I such perforation will represent any one of thirtyseven or more different characters depending upon its position.

As shown in Fig. 1 the numerals may be represented by perforating the numbered index point positions as in the first ten columns. The positions between the numbered positions may be used to represent other characters such as the letters of the alphabet and additional characters. When so used any one of three letters of the alphabet may be recorded between adjacent upper and lower numeral index point positions. Thus a perforation in the upper position may represent 0, a perforation in the 1 horizontal line will represent the value 1, and perforations in the three intermediate positions may represent the letters A, B and C. In this manner all of the characters of the alphabet may be placed between the numerals and additional characters such as a period, comma, dash, etc., may be recorded. Any suitable machine may be employed for analyzing the card to ascertain the character represented by a perforation in a given position. It will, of course, be necessary that the perforation sensing elements be able to distinguish between the overlapping positions. In other words, the perforation sensing elements would sense the intersecting points of the horizontal line's designated 0, A, B, C, etc., and the vertical lines of each column. If an intersecting point is at the middle of a hole, the hole -will record the data represented by the intersecting point. In Figs. 1 and 4 the vertical columns are very closely spaced and therefore an elongated perforation is used to represent data in any particular column. In Fig. 2 the columns are more widely spaced and the regulation round perforation may be employed. Here the card 1a has a perforation 2a in the 9 position of the first column.

The second column is perforated at 3a to represent the value 8. The eleventh column has a perforation 4a at a position slightly above the perforation 2a. The thirteenth column has a perforation 5a slightly below the position of the perforation 3a and the column 12 has a perforation 6a between the positions of the perforations 4a and 5a. Here again any one of the perforations may be effected in each column. In Fig. 3 the card 1a is shown as having a perforation 2a in the 9 index point position or column 1. The fifth column has a perforation 3a representing the value 8 and perforations 4a, 6a and 5a are recorded in columns 2, 3 and 4 respectively. In Fig. 5 the card 7 has a horizontal dotted line 8 dividing the card into upper and lower halves. The index point positions of each column in the upper half are numbered 0 to 4 inclusive, and the index point positions in the column on the lower half are numbered 5 to 9. In the tenth column in the upper half of the card, a perforation 9 above the upper horizontal row of numerals may represent zero, the perforation 10 may represent the value 1, the perforation 11 may represent the value 3, and an intermediate perforation 12 may represent the value 2 and so on down, the perforation at 13 representing the value 9. The perforations in the first 10 columns in the lower half of the card may in like manner represent the values from 0 to 9. The numbering of the index point positions in each column from 0 to 9 shows the relationship of the positions on a regulation Hollerith tabulating card. In the present system each column in the upper half of the card may, of course be numbered 0 to 9 instead of from 0 m4 and the index point positions of each column on the lower half of the card may also be numbered 0 to 9 instead of 5 to 9 as shown here. If it is desired in the case of card 7 to record any one of the 12 months in a single column, this may readily be done by using the blank space at the top of the card for additional index point positions in each column. The manner in which the card is used to control the operation of a machine is shown in Fig. 6. Here the type of machine illustrated is that disclosed in the Hollerith Patent #1,295,167, dated February 25, 1919. The parts of the machine are shown diagrammatically and only so much is included as is necessary to understand the manner in which the card illustrated here is used to control the machine. In Fig. 6 the card 1 is shown in section and is viewed looking down upon the card which is being fed downwardly through the machine by the feed rollers 20. Three perforation sensing brushes 21, 21a and 21b are shown. In a tabulating machine, there would be one of these brushes for each column on the card and a separate contact block 24 is provided for each brush. Normally, the brushes engage their contact blocks 24 but as the card is fed downwardly through the machine, it separates all of the brushes from their contacts and thereafter during the passage of the particular card the various brushes will reach through the perforations in the card as these particular perforations move past the corresponding brushes. The time in the card feeding cycle at which a brush reaches through a perforation to make contact with the block 24 determines the control that the particular column on the card shall have upon the machine. In order to print the characters represented by the perforations a plurality of type carriers 25, 26, 2'7 are shown loosely mounted on a shaft 28. There is one of these type carriers for each of the perforation sensing brushes or in other words, for each column on the record card. A spring 29 is adapted to rotate the type carrier clockwise synchronously with the movement of the card past the sensing brushes. In other words, as each index point is passing the sensing brush, the corresponding type element or character is passing through the printing line. The mechanism for controlling this synchronous operation is more fully disclosed in said Hollerith patent. At the beginning of the card cycle all of the type carriers are in normal position with the first type element 30 just below the printing position which is approximately the middle of the inking ribbon 31. Assuming that the cards are being fed downwardly with their lower edge first the sensing brushes 21 will be separated from their contact blocks 24. Then all of the 9 positions across the bottom of the card will pass between the sensing brushes 21 and the contact blocks 24. At the moment that the leading edge of the perforation reaches this sensing brush the first of the type elements 30, representing the numeral 9, will be reaching .and passing the printing position as the type carriers rotate upon the shaft- 28. Wherever a perforation appears in a column on the card the corresponding type carriers will be stopped so that the type representing the numeral 9 will be held in printing position. The type carriers are adapted to be stopped by latching pawls 32 pivoted at 33 and normally held out of mesh with ratchet teeth 34 on the type carriers, by springs 35. The pawls 32 are connected by links 36 to the armatures 37 of the printing magnets 38. Each of these printing magnets is associated with one of the sensing brushes 21 and becomes energized when its brush reaches through a perforation in the card and closes the circuit by making contact with the block 24. Included in the control circuit is a set of contacts 39 adapted to be controlled by card lever 40'. When no card is in the sensing position, contacts 39 are open so that no current will pass through the brushes 21 and contact blocks 24 which are then in engagement with each other. Just after the card reaches the sensing brushes and separates them from the contact blocks 24 and before the first perforation position reaches these brushes the card rocks the lever 40 and closes the contacts 39. Now when a perforation reaches a brush and the latter engages the block 24 on theother side a circuit will be closed from the source 41 through line 42, contacts 39, wire 43, to the common brush holder 44, then through any of the brushes that have made contact through the perforations with the block 24 then through a holding magnet 45, wire 46, printing magnet 38, line 46a, contacts 47 which are closed during the card reading cycle, and back to the other side of the source. As soon as the holding magnet has become energized it attracts its armature 48 closing contacts 49 so that the circuit will now be from the source 41 through line 42, contacts 39, wire 50, contacts 49,.through the armature 48 which serves as a conductor to the wire 51, magnet 45, wire 46, magnet 38, wire 46a, contacts 47 to the other side of the line. The holding magnet 45 serves to keep the circuit closed after the perforation which efiected the closure has passed the brush 21 and opened the circuit at that point. The relay magnet 45 holds the circuit closed until the end of the card cycle during which time the printing will have been effected. At the end of the cycle, a cam 52 permits the contacts 47 to open. This breaks the circuit through the magnets 45 and 38. Contacts 49 then open and the pawl 32 is restored to its normal position by spring 35 thus releasing the type carrier 25. The type carriers will then be restored in a counterclockwise direction to their normal positions in a manner more fully disclosed in the aforesaid patent.

In the illustration of Fig. 6, the parts are shown at a point about the middle of the card sensing cycle. One of the type carriers 25 has been stopped by reason of the brush 21 having made contact through a perforation. -The brush 21a is shown reaching through the perforation in the card and engaging the block 24 so that its magnets 45a and 38a have just become energized and the pawl 32a has just been operated to stop the type carrier 26 in position with the type element 30a in the printing line. This type element represents the value corresponding to the perforation in the card which brought about energization of the magnets. The brush 21b has not yet encountered a perforation in its column and therefore its magnets 45b and 38b have not yet become energized and the type carrier 27 will continue to move synchronously with the passage of the card through the machine. This type carrier will be stopped later in the card cycle if a perforation is encountered by the brush 21b and will be stopped in'a position corresponding to the value represented by the perforation. At the end of the card reading cycle the printing hammer or hammers 53 will operate to press the record sheet 54 and the inking ribbon 31 against the type elements in the printing line to effect printing on the sheet. It will be understood that as the leading edge of the perforation determines the time at which the magnets shall'commence to operate, this will in turn determine the position at which the pawl 32 will engage the ratchet teeth 34. As long as the duration of contact in the card is sufficient to permit the operation of the magnets and the closure ofthe contacts 49, the type carriers will be stopped in their correct positions, and this has been found to be so eventhough the perforation reaches part way over the position allotted to the next character or in other words, the succeeding perforation position in the column.

Having described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A record card on which differentially located points in a column represent different characters in a continuous system, such as the letters of the alphabet, and in which a perforation isprovided at one of such points, said perforation overlapping an adjacent point representing a different character, a perforation at one of said points being adapted to operatively select a type element, a type element selected under control of a perforation at any one of said points being different from that selected under control of a perforation at any other point.

2. A perforated record card divided into a plurality of columns which are subdivided into a plurality of progressively located index points each representing a different character, and a perforation through the card at one of said points representing the corresponding character, said points being closer to each other than the dimension of the perforation in the columnar direction whereby a greater selection of characters may be represented by a single perforation in a column than where the distance between the points is greater than such dimension of the perforation, said card being adapted to be fed through a machine synchronously with theoperation of a type carrier and being adapted to cause setting of the type carrier in a position corresponding to the position of a perforation in the column.

3. A perforated record card divided into a plurality of columns which are subdivided into a plurality of progressively located index points each representing a different character, and a perforation through the card at one of said points representing the corresponding character, said points being closer to each other than the dimension of the perforation in the columnar direction whereby a greater selection of characters A, may be represented by a single perforation in ALBERT W. MILLS. 

